Our restaurant critics' picks of the latest and best eats
around the country this week, including Surry Hills Eating House,
Lucy Liu, Ben's Burgers, Mr Chow's Saloon & Dive Bar

SYDNEYSurry Hills
Eating House
First there was Spice I Am, then more Spice I Ams (Spices We Are?), then House,
the north-eastern Thai offshoot. Now, at the same pub that House calls home, comes Surry Hills Eating House,
chef Sujet Saenkham's tribute to the cooking of southern Thailand.
Set in the thoroughly renovated space upstairs at the not entirely
salubrious Triple Ace Bar, the Eating House presents a menu rich in
dishes not often seen elsewhere, some straight from the southern
Thai/island canon (Phuket-style kanom jeen, say, with fish curry
sauce and greens), others a bit more freestyle (Brussels sprouts
stir-fried with Chinese sausage, say or a Sichuan-influenced
chicken with dry chilli). Deliciousness is the reward whichever
path you choose, and the classics (green curry of beef with fine
roti) are rendered with as much brio as the more unusual stuff
(such as the chilli, lime and pork floss miang done with Chinese
broccoli in place of betel leaves). It's nightly dinner-only for
now, with lunch in the offing later in the year. A big win for fans
of big Thai flavours. Surry Hills Eating House, upstairs,
Triple Ace Bar, cnr Elizabeth & Campbell sts, Surry Hills, NSW,
(02) 9211 8107. PAT NOURSE

MELBOURNELucy Liu
Lucy Liu, with its slatted timber wall, ceiling screens and
comfortable, golden-hued lighting, is a looker. The sound levels
are right, too, even when the place fills up, and this, along with
a readiness to take bookings, makes chef Michael Lambie's latest
venture one of the more user-friendly pan-Asian canteens in town.
The menu is an exercise in pleasing the crowd - Korean fried
chicken, kingfish sashimi, green papaya salad, dumplings, pork
buns, soft-shell crab pancake, tick, tick, tick, tick - but when
the cooking is strong and the flavours are clean, it's hardly
something to complain about. The Korean-ish pork hock, rubbed down
with spices, slow cooked and then fried to order, is worth a visit
alone. It comes with pancakes, cucumber, spring onions, hoisin
sauce and an apple and kimchi slaw to make your own rolls. It's a
generous dish, so bring some friends - Lucy Liu is that kind of
place. Lucy Liu, 23 Oliver La, Melbourne, Vic, (03) 9639
5777. MICHAEL HARDEN

BRISBANEBen's Burgers
Fat juicy patties, lightly buttery buns and a gratifyingly
fast-moving queue. The management doesn't accept order changes and
there are only three burgers - a classic, a special and a veg
option - but the conga-line of cool kids kicking their heels on the
Astroturfed square of laneway outside couldn't be happier. This
replacement for Flamingo Café rocks. House-made ginger ale and
cherry cola (in a plastic cup) can be amped up with a $3 shot of
spiced rum or Ketel One, and there are a couple of Burleigh
Brewing's craft beers also on offer. Inside it's all clean white
and blue, with timber tables and zinc stools. Feeling the need for
a burger-me-up breakfast? The BB Elvis offers an artery-hardening
combination of bacon, peanut butter, banana and maple syrup,
probably safest consumed in tandem with a heart-starting Coffee
Supreme double-shot ristretto. Ben's Burger's, 5 Winn St,
Fortitude Valley, Qld, (07) 3195 3094. FIONA DONNELLY

PERTHMr Chow's Saloon & Dive Bar
Don't be fooled. Mr Chow's isn't really a saloon, nor does it fit
the description for rundown neighbourhood watering hole. Instead,
look for it inside Low Key Chow House, Leederville's new high-water
mark for Asian eating. Just as the menu crosses borders with
alacrity, the drinks' list borrows liberally from liquor cabinets
throughout the region. Korea, for instance, brings soju to the
party. Japanese sake, meanwhile, is available by the tokkuri,
tasting flight and one-cup. And then there's 100Plus, Singapore's
greatest gift to post-exercise rehydration: enjoy it straight out
the can or in the refreshing grapefruit-powered 200Plus, just one
of Mr Chow's terrifically on-theme libations. While guests are
welcome to drink without eating, scoring a table - particularly
during the crush of Friday and Saturday nights - can be tricky. The
solution? Make a play for one of the stools that ring the blondwood
bar or drop in during the day to meet this good-natured mister.
140 Oxford St, Leederville, WA, (08) 9443 9305. MAX
VEENHUYZEN

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